Steal My Heart

Chapter 13

“JESUS,” brIAN whispered as Hilliard tugged off the last of his clothes. Damn, Hilliard loved the way this man looked, with his corded, lean muscle that left him drooling. That was okay, because Hilliard wanted to lick him all over. “What you do to me.”

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Hilliard whispered back, kicking the door closed as he heard the dogs coming up the stairs. He loved those two, but he adored Brian more. And damn it all, his entire body shook with delicious anticipation.

Brian swallowed hard, his legs quivering as Hilliard climbed on the bed, straddling him as he stalked his way up his body. “You make me want things I never thought I could have again.” He licked a circle around Brian’s pebbled nipple, receiving a groan and a shiver.

“Why do you think that?” Brian asked.

Hilliard grew quiet. The last thing he wanted to talk about at this moment was Alan and all the shit he’d put Hilliard through. They both deserved better than that, and he’d be damned if he was going to let his ex intrude on a moment of passion. Instead, he sucked the other nipple, loving the shiver, before kissing Brian with everything he had. “I want you,” he whispered.

“You have me,” Brian said in return, drawing Hilliard down against him, their heat melding until it threatened to scorch the sheets. “Any way you want me.”

“Oh yeah.” Hilliard loved the way Brian’s lips parted and his eyes sparkled. He wanted him to look like that all the time. He’d seen his eyes filled with worry so many times in the weeks they had known each other. “Then I’ll take what I want.” He cocked an eyebrow before slinking down Brian’s body, then sucked his cock between his lips, taking him as far as he could.

“Jesus!” Brian cried as Hilliard bobbed his head, determined to drive Brian out of his mind. He tasted good—salty, a touch of bitterness, but all man, and damn, Hilliard wanted as much of that as he could get. Brian’s breathing became shallow, and he clamped his eyes closed.

Hilliard backed away and brought their lips together, letting Brian taste a little of himself on his tongue. “I want you now.”

Brian nodded, and Hilliard nearly dumped the nightstand on its side, but he found a condom and rolled it on with a shaking hand. He also found the slick and used it liberally before sliding a finger inside Brian’s smoldering body.

There were things that Hilliard knew he would never forget, and the first time with Brian was one of them. The man was more than hot; he was like a live wire, surrounding him, tugging him deep, taking Hilliard to the moon. It was like no other sensation he had ever experienced. At first Hilliard didn’t dare move, but then he rocked slowly, and Brian moved with him.

He leaned over him, sliding in and out of Brian’s body, loving every single second. Whenever he pulled away, Brian drew him back in. Hilliard needed him like an addict needed a fix, and he knew he was never going to be the same. No one compared to this. He thought he and Alan had fit together, but he knew now that they hadn’t, not really. Being with Brian was perfection, physically and emotionally. He had told himself that if things didn’t work out, he could always return to Cleveland, but he knew now that no matter what, he had to make sure this relationship that he had with Brian worked out. He could barely breathe, and yet he wanted more. Brian urged him to move, and Hilliard went right along with it, letting Brian guide him to a place of sheer bliss.

“Hilly… don’t stop,” Brian whimpered, stroking himself as he wound his legs around Hilliard’s back.

“Won’t.” It was all he could manage.

“Don’t you dare,” Brian growled. “Now fuck me into next week. I want to feel you when I’m working tomorrow.” He pushed against Hilliard, burying his cock to the hilt.

Hilliard leaned closer, kissing Brian hard. “You like the dirty talk?”

“Hell yes,” Brian groaned. “Give me your cock. I want it all.” He clamped down, and Hilliard gasped from the pleasure. This was a side of Brian he hadn’t expected, and it was sexy as hell. Brian put his hands over his head, stretching that incredible body, his eyes wide, his mouth open. He was gorgeous, to say the least, and the way he lay, it was like he was giving himself to Hilliard. That kind of trust spurred him forward faster, harder, Brian swaying under him as the bed rocked back and forth with their movement.

“And I want you. Every bit of you.” He thrust deeply, gasping right along with Brian. Sweat broke out on both of them, Brian glistening in the light coming through the window, his scent, musky and rich, filling the room. Hilliard snapped his hips and then rolled them, watching Brian, listening to his breathing. “That’s it. Tell me what you like.” He tweaked his nipples once, then harder. Brian gasped as Hilliard thrust again, throwing his head back as the sensation threatened to overwhelm him.

“Then take it.” He pulled Hilliard down, grabbing his ass and using his hands to press Hilliard to him.

Hilliard stopped. “You don’t get to top from the bottom, sweetheart.” He moved only slowly, earning a growl from Brian, whose eyes glazed over. It was clear he wanted more and that Hilliard was driving him crazy, but that was his intention. He brushed Brian’s hand away from his cock and replaced it with his, stroking him slowly.

“Jesus, you’re killing me.”

“Then you need to take what I give you.” He had never been much for dirty talk in the past, but with Brian, it was a real mind fuck. Brian was as vocal as a first-rate porn star, and that was sexy as all hell.

Brian kept up his vocal barrage, swearing a blue streak under his breath until Hilliard sped up, driving into Brian as he stroked his beefy cock harder and faster. The groans and fucks came louder, and it was clear that Brian was as on the edge as Hilliard, but he wasn’t ready to bring this to an end, so he slowed down once more, giving them both a chance to breathe, before giving in to Brian.

The bed rocked more quickly, and Hilliard hoped the damned thing didn’t collapse as he and Brian barreled closer. His skin tingled and his cock throbbed as he tried to hold off for a little longer.

“Gonna come,” Brian ground out between his teeth. “So close….”

Hilliard slowed his movements, holding them both right on the edge for as long as he dared before letting them both tumble into sweet, mind-blowing release that left Hilliard breathless and unable to think for a long time.

When he could move, Hilliard disposed of the condom and quickly cleaned up the mess he’d made beside the bed. He climbed into bed, and Brian came in from the bathroom and lay down next to him. “Are you sure about all this?” Brian asked.

“About what?” He held Brian to him and closed his eyes. “Whatever you’re worried about, just relax and don’t think about it now.”

“But…,” Brian probed.

Hilliard sighed. “I can almost guarantee you’re overthinking. I like it here. What I need to do is figure out how to make it work. And as for our thief in hiding… they can’t stay that way forever. There’s information out there, and we will find it. I promise you that.” He lightly kissed the top of Brian’s head.

Brian tilted his head upward. “What if we stir up something that puts us both in danger?”

Hilliard sighed. “As much as I want to say full steam ahead, I’ve been thinking the same thing.” He smiled. “They broke into your grandmother’s house to try to plant evidence. What will they do if they’re cornered?” He’d been wondering that for days. “They broke into your truck before.” Brian met his gaze. “But then I keep thinking that if we don’t put a stop to this, they’re going to hurt other people. The initial robbery might have been two years ago, but they are escalating to keep trying to cover it up.”

“True. But what if they hurt you?” Brian asked, and Hilliard held him tighter. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Hilliard closed his eyes and lay back on the pillow. “You know, this has to be the strangest pillow talk in history. People usually say sweet things to each other. You and I, we try to find a thief.” He smiled. “Do you think that’s some sort of kink?”

Brian chuckled. “Somehow I doubt it qualifies until we shout evidence at each other or try to identify possible clues while we’re having sex.” He devolved into laughter. “Or shout, ‘Colonel Mustard did it in the ballroom with the rope’ to make you come.”

“God,” Hilliard gasped as he joined in the mirth. “You’re something else.” It had been a long time since he’d met anyone like Brian, and the more time he spent with him, the more his heart told him exactly what it wanted. The problem was that his head was way too damned practical, and he needed to make sure that he wasn’t going to end up right back where he’d been a few months ago, on the outside looking into his own life, trying to pick up the pieces. Brian wasn’t Alan, he knew that, but maybe he was just a little gun-shy.

“I like to think so.” Brian lifted his head once more, meeting Hilliard’s gaze. “I have to ask you something. You inherited this house… and Alan was a real asshole…. You’re out of the business, and he’s paid you off. So if I wasn’t in the picture here, what would you be doing right now?” He hoisted his eyebrows.

Hilliard rolled his eyes. “Probably studying for the bar exam so I could get my license here and looking to either join a firm or start one of my own. I have the cash, and with the house, I could remodel the garage storage building into an office and hang out a shingle.”

“Then why not do that?” Brian asked. “Take me out of the equation and stop worrying about what will happen between us. I’m not Alan, and I’m not going to hurt you the way he did. I would never cheat on anyone. But forget about all that.”

“I can’t. What if things don’t work out? You live three blocks away. This is a tiny town where everyone knows everyone else and the gossip mill is fueled by tea and runs overtime. We would never get a chance to be away from each other.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Look, regardless of what happens, we decide that we’ll be friends. If things don’t work out and we go our separate ways, we have to agree that we will always be friends and… maybe with benefits, because those are some benefits, let me tell you.” He grinned slyly, and Hilliard snorted instead of laughing. “All I’m saying is don’t make your decisions based on what’s happened before. I’m not a jerk and neither are you. So we can do this….” He leaned closer. “Unless.”

Hilliard swallowed. “What?”

“Unless this has nothing to do with that at all. Did Al get you thinking?” Brian drew closer, and Hilliard looked away. “He did. That old dream of yours that you were so close to, he brought it back. And now the vision of a small practice here in California doesn’t quite seem to measure up.”

Hilliard shook his head, even though he knew there was some truth to what Brian had said. “I don’t know. That’s the sucky part. While I could never work with Al….”

“He made you want what he has,” Brian filled in, and Hilliard nodded. There was no use denying the truth.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. This is a crossroads for me, and if I take you out of the equation, then that’s what I’m left with. But you are in the equation. You’re here in my arms right now, and I like that so much. I look forward to when you come over or when I come down to visit. My heart jumps a little when you send me a message, and I like that. So I go back and forth.” He kissed Brian gently. “But I always seem to end up on the side of wanting to stay. I really do like it here.” He just wished he could figure out what it was that kept him from chucking it in and committing to a new life.

HILLIARD WALKED toward the house as Brian came out with Beverly holding his arm. “Are you sure you want to go?” Brian asked her softly.

Beverly smacked him on the shoulder. “I’m not dead yet,” she admonished and continued down the walk. The dogs hurried after her and climbed into the back seat of Hilliard’s Mustang as soon as he opened the door. They had their feet on the folded top, looking out like they were the queens of the world as Brian got Beverly settled in the front seat. He climbed in back and got as comfortable as possible.

“I’m glad we don’t have to go very far. Otherwise I’d never be able to unfold my legs.” He pulled the seat back, and Hilliard got in, helped Beverly make a little more room for Brian, and then they were off.

“Do they do this every year?”

“Yes. They didn’t during COVID, but that’s about it.” Beverly seemed happy, and Hilliard liked when Brian settled his hand on his shoulder. “It’s all for the benefit of the Civic Club. They put this on every year and use the proceeds to help improve the village.”

“I remember going to this when I was a kid. They used to have carnival games, and I remember the year that I won all that candy.” Brian chuckled. “Gran took it and only let me have it a little at a time.”

“Can you blame me? You won at least half a dozen packages of chocolate. It was self-preservation, if you ask me. If you had eaten all that chocolate at one time, I’d have had to peel you off the ceiling.” Beverly seemed so happy. When they approached the carnival, Hilliard showed Beverly’s placard for special parking, and the volunteers directed him to a place near the entrance.

The afternoon sun was making an appearance, so Hilliard left the top down, got Poppy on her leash, and took charge of her. Once Beverly was out of the car, Brian wrangled Gigi.

“What’s the game plan?” Beverly asked.

“You have a good time and leave the questions to Hilliard,” Brian said.

“Poppycock. I want to shake down a suspect and make him crack,” Beverly teased. “I’d love it if I could get Frank in the hot seat. I’d like to see that weasel squirm.”

“Gran….”

She huffed. “Don’t worry. I’ll be good.” She patted Brian on the shoulder. Hilliard had a pretty good idea that if she got the chance, she had every intention of ignoring that promise.

“What do you want to do first?” Brian asked.

“Business before pleasure. I’ll go find Frank and see if we can shake a few leaves off the trees while you and Beverly see if you can find his kids.”

“What do we do if we find them?” Brian asked.

Hilliard smiled. “Scare them a little—and I know just how to do it.” He told Brian and Beverly exactly what he had in mind.

THE BASEBALL team booth wasn’t quite what Hilliard expected. He thought it would be hot dogs and popcorn, but they were selling raffle tickets and something called sour-cream-and-chive fries. The older boys seemed to know the routine and made up the orders while the others helped customers, and a man nearing fifty oversaw everything. “Can I help you?” he asked Hilliard when he saw him watching.

“It’s like a well-oiled machine.” Hilliard smiled.

“We’ve been doing this for a while now.” He joined Hilliard out front. “I have one of the fathers in back cooking the fries, and the boys take it from there. These are an absolute favorite here.” He looked Hilliard over. “Are you a tourist or new in town?”

“I used to come here when I was a kid. I’m Grace Bauman’s great-nephew. She left me the house in her will, and I’m fixing it up and trying to figure out if I should resettle here. It’s a real nice place.”

“Frank Trainer. And it really is.” He shook Hilliard’s hand. “This is a special sort of place. It’s got a unique history of its own, and whenever you live here, you get immersed in the way this location gets wrapped up in your soul. Once Mendo gets inside, you never really want to leave.” He took a minute to help one of the boys before returning.

“How is the crime here? I’ve heard some rumors about a few burglaries.” Hilliard tilted his head slightly. “Trainer… why is that familiar? Yeah, Ruth was telling me that family was robbed some time ago.”

Frank’s expression didn’t change much, but the redness around his neck slipped upward. “That was my mother, and they caught the guy.” He sounded confident.

“That’s great. Was it recently? Ruth told me that the person they caught didn’t really do it.” He leaned closer. “One thing I found out—she loves to talk. I sat next to her at a church function, and she regaled me with stories.” Maybe he was laying it on thick, but he needed so see Frank’s reaction. “According to her, apparently the man they caught was somewhere else with his grandfather. I really hope they find the real thief. It must be nerve-racking to have that sort of thing happen in a place like this.” He sighed. “I’m very sorry for you and your family’s loss. I hope they find the real thief soon.” He stepped away to place an order for some fries and a raffle ticket before leaving the booth.

He turned like he was going to leave, but instead he settled on a bench under a nearby tree to eat and watch. Frank spoke to a man and his son as they approached the booth, and then Frank was off, striding around the edge of the field like a man on a mission.

Keeping him in sight, Hilliard tossed the empty package into a nearby trash can and followed Frank toward town. There were plenty of people around him as cover. Frank didn’t seem too concerned about being seen or followed, though Hilliard did his best to stay out of sight. As he rounded the corner toward the main street, he paused as Frank stood outside the grocery store and pulled out his phone.

“Where are you?” he asked. “I need to talk to you now.” He waited. “I’m near the pub.” He hung up, and Hilliard stayed across the street and watched through the crowds of people as Frank began pacing. Pretty soon, his two sons hurried up, both looking pale and worried.

“What did you tell Grandma?” one of the boys demanded as soon as they saw their father. “She sent people to talk to Kevin and me. I think she thinks we were the ones who stole her stuff.” He seemed truly upset, and Hilliard drew closer so he could hear better.

“Apparently the guy who was convicted has been proven innocent, and now your grandmother is determined to find out who really stole from her.” The look he gave his boys told Hilliard plenty. Frank thought one or both of the boys could be the culprits.

“But we didn’t do it,” Kendall said. “We’d never steal from Gran.” They each looked at the other, their expressions totally confused. Hilliard lost sight of them for a few seconds as a group of people passed in front of them, talking loudly.

“So help me, if either of you….” He glared at the boys, and Hilliard tried to put together what he was seeing.

“We never did. You should know that.” They seemed affronted and surprised at their father’s questioning.

“Like many people would believe you,” Frank said with a glare. Jesus, these boys had a tough road ahead of them if their father didn’t trust them. Granted, from what Hilliard had seen and gathered from others, these kids weren’t known for their good behavior, but he could only imagine how much it hurt to have your parent doubt you like that.

“But it wasn’t us,” they said in unison, loudly enough for Hilliard to hear clearly. He turned away and headed back toward the carnival, mulling over the information. It was possible the boys were lying, but they truly seemed upset and affronted. Unless they were great actors, he doubted it was them, which was a disappointment. It made sense for them to be the thieves. They might have known where the valuables were kept. And Frank… would he steal from his mother? Hilliard doubted it, especially with the way he went to find the boys. It seemed to Hilliard that Frank had thought it might have been them, and he wouldn’t have done that if he were guilty.

Hilliard used the crowd as cover, heading along with the flow of people back toward the carnival. He found Brian and his grandmother sitting on a bench near the entrance to the area. “Did you find out anything?” Brian asked.

“I think I did.” He sat down. “After I casually mentioned the alleged thief’s innocence, Frank called the boys right away, and they met up, but I don’t think any of them did it. Frank was afraid the boys had done it. And I think the boys were afraid their father had done it. They turned nearly completely white when he asked them about it.”

“No one in that family talks to one another,” Beverly said. “Frank is one of those fathers who yells and makes demands, so everyone either stays away from him as best they can, or they say yes and then do what they want when his back is turned.”

Hilliard leaned forward so he could see both of them. “Can you imagine thinking that someone else in your family committed a burglary, then covered it up, and not talking about it? You continue like that for years and just let it go.”

Brian shrugged. “Why not? They had the thief in jail and they could all just carry on. It wasn’t like they had to give it a thought anymore. I was paying the price for it, and they went on with their miserable, useless lives.” The anger in Brian’s eyes was strong and deep.

“Maybe we should go,” Hilliard offered. “I should have given more thought to how all of this would make you feel.” Dammit. To him this was about unraveling a mystery and solving a puzzle. Yes, he cared about Brian and wanted him to be vindicated, but he was still a step removed from what had happened. That wasn’t the case for Brian. This was his life, and he had lived with being accused of something he hadn’t done for years now.

“No,” he snapped. “I’m fine.” He sighed through his nose, his eyes softening a little, but the anger was still there, and Hilliard resolved to see this all the way through.

Beverly took Brian’s arm and leaned closer to him. “Remember that in order to help, you need to keep your mind clear and think. This isn’t going to be solved by emotion and old hurt, but by reason and figuring out the facts.” She got Brian to look away from Frank, who had taken up his place at the baseball team booth once more.

“Okay, so what do we know?” Brian asked, glancing over at Frank once more before turning his attention to Hilliard.

“First, we know that whoever did this knew Violet would be out of the house. They had to know the window of opportunity. Also, it had to be someone who was close enough to Violet to know where she kept her valuables, because the room wasn’t ransacked. The thieves took small items of value and knew where they were. That led me to think it was the boys or Frank, but I’m not so sure anymore.” Hilliard lowered his gaze.

Beverly cleared her throat. “We know that whoever it was broke into Brian’s truck and the house to plant evidence.”

Hilliard nodded. “And on that note, they knew that Brian had been out of town and that his grandfather had passed away.” He paused a few minutes to think. “I know this is a small town, but that’s a lot of details to know in order to be able to pull all this off.”

Brian nodded too. “I agree, and it doesn’t seem like kids to me. I mean sure, maybe Violet’s grandkids knew where she kept stuff, but I don’t see the boys as being plugged deeply into the town gossip mill.” He sighed once more, his shoulders slumping. “Maybe we’ll never be able to figure this out. It’s been a long time since it happened.”

“True, but not for the thief. After all, as soon as they got word that we might be able to prove your innocence, they planted more evidence to lead everyone back to you.” There were still so many things Hilliard didn’t understand, but the picture was coming into focus. He just needed a few more pieces. “Sometimes I wish I were Sherlock Holmes or something.”

Beverly laughed. “Please. He had to figure out the mystery before the end of the book, and almost every time, there were obscure facts that most people don’t know involved in solving the mystery. This is real life, and as much as we’d all like to have things ordered and wrapped up in a neat bow, it doesn’t always happen. But I agree—we are still missing information. I’m just not sure where to get it.”

Brian sat back on the bench, and Hilliard did the same. “Maybe we need to talk to Violet again. She wants answers as much as we do,” Brian offered.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Beverly said. “There are some questions I’d like to ask her myself, grandmother to grandmother.” She leaned forward slightly and got herself to her feet. “Let’s go have some fun for a while. We’ve done what we can for tonight.”

Hilliard knew she was right. Brian nodded and pointed. “There’s that game I used to play, with all the candy.”

Beverly shook her head. “You don’t need candy, and you can buy all you want yourself.”

“True, but what if I really want to win one of those giant stuffed pandas?” Brian countered.

“We don’t need any of that stuff,” Beverly said with a smile. “You two go on and have fun. I see Ruth over by the popcorn booth. I’m going to say hello.” She shooed them off. “Go on.” She smiled, and Brian didn’t waste any time, leading Hilliard toward the games area. He seemed like a kid again. Hilliard laughed and went right along with him.

“What do you want to play?” Brian asked.

Hilliard grinned. “How about the target game over there?”

Brian scoffed. “That’s so rigged.”

“Really?” Hilliard asked with a wink as he headed over to the booth where some luckless kids were shooting cork guns at paper cup targets.

“You get three shots for two bucks,” the guy in the booth said with a smile. Hilliard handed over two bills and looked at the gun. He watched the kids, sighted the gun, and then shot and hit the first cup. He took his second shot and then the third, hitting all three times. Then he turned to the operator of the booth, shaking his head before asking the kids for the guns. He took a look and then handed them back.

“All the sights are off. They were probably made that way, so the guns shoot low. So raise them up and aim high.” He smiled as the kids began knocking the cups off the top shelf, where the operator had placed the higher-value prize cups, figuring no one would hit them. Hilliard collected his Nintendo Switch top prize, and so did the kids. “I suggest you close your booth and clean up this game. I can have the sheriff here pretty quickly, and he isn’t going to look kindly on game rigging.” He set down the cork gun and stepped back as the operator swore under his breath and went through the process of closing up.

“Thanks, mister,” one of the kids said, carrying a huge Pikachu that he could barely see over the top of.

“You’re welcome.” Hilliard smiled as the kids walked away, hopefully to find their shocked parents. “Sorry about that.”

Brian chuckled. “You just can’t help it, can you?”

“What?”

“Do you take up every cause that crosses your path? Mine, the waitresses when we were out, those kids being cheated. You just have to help.”

Hilliard shrugged. “I became a lawyer to help others. It wasn’t for the money. I wanted to try to do good in the world, to help people who others wouldn’t. I sort of lost track of that the past few years. I was in Ohio. Alan and I got absorbed in building the practice. He used to tell me that we could help people once we built our reputation.” The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Alan cheating and eventually buying him out was the best thing that could have happened to him. If that hadn’t happened, he probably would have lost who he was completely and ended up as heartless and cold as Alan.

“You know that’s just cover for being selfish. Alan didn’t want to help anyone other than himself. He was a selfish jerk. Cheating on someone proves that.” Brian took his hand. “Come on. I want to play the candy game. It may not have skill, but it’s a lot of fun.” He pulled them over to a booth with four sides divided into colored squares. “Put a buck on the color you think is going to win. Someone throws the ball in the center, and if it lands on your color, you win.” Brian was so excited that Hilliard found himself fishing out some money.

“YOU’RE TOO danged lucky,” Brian groused good-naturedly when Hilliard won for the fourth time. Granted, Brian had won twice, and between them they had a pile of bags of peanut butter cups and M&M’s.

“I’ll share with you,” Hilliard said with a wink, lightly bumping Brian’s shoulder. All the drama from earlier seemed to have slipped away as they played and laughed, teasing each other as they either won or lost.

“Okay, then.” Brian gathered their prizes and stepped back from the game. “Let’s get out of here before I’m tempted to break out more money to see if I can catch up.” They laughed as they headed away from the game and walked through the grounds. “We should check on Gran.” Brian led back to where they’d left her and found Beverly holding court with half a dozen ladies all riveted as she told stories—a group that included Violet Trainer.

“Well, look at that,” Hilliard said.

“They all flock to her. No one can stay mad at Gran for long,” Brian said. “Gran… are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but we could all use another round.” Clearly the ladies had moved on from tea to wine. “Could you go get some? We need three pinots, a chardonnay, and two rieslings.” She patted Brian’s hand, and he came up with a few bills. Brian headed away to get what she needed, and Beverly pointed to another chair that Hilliard pulled over to sit next to her.

“I’m told you’re making progress,” Violet said, finishing the last of her wine.

“I think so. Would it be okay if we came to see you tomorrow? I have a few questions that you might be able to answer.”

She nodded seriously, pursing her lips. “Do you think it was part of my family?”

Hilliard wasn’t sure how to answer. “I’m not sure, but my gut is telling me that it isn’t.” Well, that and his eavesdropping, but he was also being honest.

Violet seemed somewhat reassured. “Okay. I’ll hold on to that.”

“Don’t worry. Hilliard is smart, and he’ll figure it out.” Beverly patted her hand. “After all, what we all want is the truth.”

“Yes. That we all do.” She waited as Brian returned with a tray and glasses. He set it down, and Beverly passed out the various drinks.

“Thank you,” Beverly told Brian with a wink. “Now, Violet dear, do you think that you could arrange for Hilliard to talk to Kevin and Kendall?”

She set down her glass. “But you said….”

“I don’t think your grandsons would steal from you,” Hilliard clarified. “But they may have some information we can use. I’m not going to give them the third degree, and you can be there when I talk to them. But I need to hear what they have to say. I’ll even bring some coffee and doughnuts.” No one could be angry at that—he hoped.

“All right. Stop by tomorrow at ten,” Violet said before sipping from her wineglass.

“All you ladies have a good time.” Hilliard stood and led Brian away. Clearly the ladies had settled in for an evening of wine and gossip. They didn’t need him and Brian getting in the way. “What do we do next?”

“The Ferris wheel?” Brian asked, leading him over. Hilliard bought tickets, and they got in line.

The wheel wasn’t very big, but this close to the ocean, it didn’t need to be in order to provide a great view. As they rode toward the top, the entire town fanned out below them, then beyond that, the ocean, growing darker, lightened in places by the waves crashing against the rocks. As they came back to earth, the view faded, only to return as they made their ascent.

“I thought about leaving,” Brian said, shifting closer in the cooling night air. The clouds formed a roof above them, and at the wheel’s height, Hilliard almost felt like he could reach out and touch them. He tugged Brian closer, sharing his warmth as they continued their ride. “After I got out, I really thought about going to the city to try to escape. I probably could have hidden my past there and done better.”

“Why didn’t you?” Hilliard asked.

“Gran… and this is my home. I knew I didn’t do it. And I guess I was hoping that someone would believe me. Gran always did.” Brian turned toward him, and Hilliard leaned in closer. “Then this lawyer comes to town, and suddenly everything changed.” He smiled, and Hilliard kissed him lightly just as they crested the top. “I don’t know how you did it. I can’t believe Violet is having us over tomorrow, or….” His voice grew rough.

“Violet wants the thief caught, and she wants to get her things back, but that isn’t likely to happen. Most stolen goods are fenced and sold off in a matter of days. I doubt it’s that hard to do….” As soon as the words crossed his lips, he saw the fault in his logic.

“What is it?”

“The damned napkin holder,” he said softly. “What the hell was it doing there?” Their ride came to an end, and Hilliard got off and hurried to a quiet place. “I’ve been looking at this all wrong. A thief isn’t going to hold on to what they stole for any longer than they have to. They’d break in, steal the goods, and sell them for what they could get as fast as possible.” He hugged Brian as he had a moment of clarity. “So why would the thief keep a damned napkin ring just hanging around all this time? As evidence to place just in case someone came sniffing around two years later? No damned way.” His spine tingled, and he knew he was onto something, but he wasn’t quite sure what.

“You think the thief stole something else just to place it in my things?”

Then it hit him. “ Someone did.” A picture was just starting to emerge. He needed some more information, but it was there. Still blurry and fuzzy around the edges, but parts of it were becoming clear. With just a little more information, he might have everything he needed. He stood still, willing more pieces to fall into place, but it just wasn’t happening. Not yet, anyway, but it would. Hilliard was sure of it.